Melrose Place actress charged in death of Somerville woman

Alcohol often plays a part in auto accidents that result in serious injuries or even death. Driver intoxication may be used to establish negligence in the case of a car crash, allowing victims to seek compensation for injuries and other damages through a personal injury or wrongful death claim. It will be interesting to see if that is the result of the following recent case.

Amy Locane-Bovenizer is facing charges in a trial that began recently in the New Jersey Superior Court. She has been charged with assault by auto and aggravated manslaughter, and she faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.

The charge stems from a car crash that occurred on June 27, 2010, at about 8.40 p.m. in Montgomery. Police say that the 40-year-old actress had left a barbeque in her SUV while her husband drove in a separate vehicle with the couple's two children. Locane-Bovenizer's car ran into another vehicle several miles away from the barbeque, killing a 60-year-old woman and injuring her husband.

Law enforcement officials claim that Locane-Bovenizer's blood alcohol reading at the time of the crash was more than three times the legal limit in New Jersey. Prosecutors also claim that Locane-Bovenizer had at least eight alcoholic drinks at the barbeque.

It may possible for the surviving family members of the deceased woman in this case to seek compensation for expenses such as lost wages and funeral costs. They will need to understand their rights under New Jersey law before deciding on a legal strategy.

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